We need to know what the Bible actually says about the end times. There are numerous divergent views about what will happen at the end of time and when it will occur. Other denominations study the end times in great depth and with great zeal (although they often come to the wrong conclusions, in my opinion). We ourselves need to look at what the Bible says and learn the most sound and reliable method to evaluate the evidence so that we can explain why we reached a different conclusion than someone else.

It will give us hope. For those who have put on Christ, studying the end times and Christ’s second advent will fill us with hope and joy. We will no longer fear death. We will only long for the resurrection of the body and find hope in the fact that we have a God who “makes all things new” (Rev 21:5).

It will change the way we behave now. The purpose of humanity in every religion (even “secular” religion) is determined by both the creation and the end goal. Whenever an inventor creates something, how and why he creates it is important to know its function. Additionally, there is a goal or purpose for which that creation exists. Similarly, when we look at creation, we cans see the original purposes for why we were created. As we study the end times, we also are looking at our purpose as humans and Christians and how we can fulfill these roles.

James 1:12 (ESV) — ¹² BLESSED is the man who REMAINS STEADFAST under trial, for when he has stood the test he WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

First, we must know that we are blessed (happy) when we resist. Friend, happiness can occur regardless of circumstances. To be happy in the face of temptation, we must determine the outcome of the battle before it has begun.

Secondly, we must know that it can be resisted. When last did you see a salesman in a cemetery? If we remain in the will of God, we are dead to the world. The problem comes when we want to stay in touch with sin: its triggers, its troublemakers, and its temptations. As a result, sin gains ground by being planted and conceiving.

Third, we must know that a prize is waiting for the victor. In 1989 I first stepped into a Cafeteria in Dallas, TX. As a foreigner, I had no clue what to do. I sat, waiting for the waiter, until someone taught me what to do. Then armed with knew found knowledge I victoriously made the healthy choices to correctly fulfill my appetite.

Buddy, it is the bite and not the bait that leads the believer to become the bad.

Men are often likened to trees in the Bible. Among these depictions is the comparison of a virtuous person to a tree of life. The Book of Proverbs makes this comparison several times (3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4). On the first occasion, the tree of life is not a person, but a personified quality of wisdom, “She [wisdom] is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.” The next occurrence (11:30) says that the righteous person’s “fruits” are a “tree of life.” Thus, the individual who treats others justly is someone who dispenses life, energy, and power to others. The final time the tree of life passage occurs in Proverbs 15:4, which says that the person who has a gentile tongue is a tree of life to others. 

Every day I think about how I can make a meaningful impact on those to whom my branches extend. I want to make a difference in my home, my school, and my community so that I leave it better than I found it. These proverbs tell me that I can be this tree of life in my community if I can grant wisdom, justice, and gentle words to those whom I encounter. However, I would still ultimately fail to be a tree of life if I am not “firmly rooted…in Christ” (Col 2:7).  He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). I am praying that all of us will be trees of righteousness (Isa 61:3) in our communities and will choose to let the power of Christ course through us, giving life to everyone we meet.

In 1936, the J.R. WATKINS CO. of Winona, Minnesota, published the “Watkins Cook Book”.  It contains many and various recipes for the popular food of that era.  What is surprising is the first recipe.  It is for bread.   The populous was still dealing with the Great Depression along with the dust bowl drought in the Midwest and the New Deal implemented by the Roosevelt administration.  Bread was important.  It is the most basic and sustaining food for us.  You might say it is the food for life.

The normal ingredients are listed.  Flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water or milk and shortening.  The instructions are included.  None of the ingredients alone would suffice to become bread.  Without some type of binder, all the ingredients would fall apart.  Flour and water become the binder that holds everything together and it is that binding that allows one to “make bread”.

Jesus is the recipe for life.  In John chapter 6, John records the discussion by Jesus about bread.  In verse 35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.”  He can fill the soul with substance that endures; with bread that is holy bound by God; a food that gives life.  Paul describes these attributes that one has when Jesus becomes our “Bread of Life” in Galatians 5:22-23.   “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  Peter expounds on this with his comments in 2 Peter 2: 3-11. 

Jesus is the binder that holds that fruit of the Spirit together.  He is the bread that provides the substance of life, nourishment that fills not only the body, but also the soul.  He is the recipe that contains the essential nutrients for life.  Paul wrote in Colossians 1: 15-17  “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

He is Supreme.  He is the Beginning and the Firstborn.  God’s fullness dwells in Him; He reconciled all things on earth and heaven.  He made peace through His blood.   When we take this bread of life, it becomes part of us.  He dwells in us, deep down inside of us, a supernatural filling, a miracle of life.  We become part of Him.  We partake and the ingredients become part of us.

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) — ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

One of Satan’s strongest weapons is to remove Christians from their natural habitat – much like removing a fish from a pond or a branch from a tree. To survive a Christian must be part of the Body of Christ. And regular weekly church attendance is the vehicle through which this is achieved.

To understand just how serious “neglecting to meet together” is, continue to read the following … Hebrews 10:26–31 (ESV) — ²⁶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will
repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Friend, will you be part of His Body this Lord’s Day? For more encouragement go to https://www.bible.ca/g-weekly-attendance.htm

The Gospels —especially Luke— recount many stories of Jesus eating at someone’s house. These hosts had the wonderful and unbelievable privilege of hosting a banquet with God as the guest of honor. On several occasions, Jesus went to Bethany and stayed at the house of some of his friends – Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Many of us are familiar with Luke’s story because of the different responses of the two sisters. While Martha was slaving away to prepare the dinner for Jesus and his disciples, she was agitated that her sister, Mary, was not helping her. Mary was not found in the kitchen but was listening attentively at Jesus’ feet.

I and many others can sympathize with Martha. Hospitality was an extremely important virtue in the ancient world. Jesus was the most important guest anyone could possibly have in their house, and somebody had to make sure that dinner was a success. Furthermore, Jesus did not rebuke Martha for what she was doing, but rather for what she was not doing, sitting at Jesus’ feet. She forgot that as she hosted Jesus, Jesus also was hosting for her a feast from his instruction.

Let us remember that being “busy” is not a Christian virtue, but neither is passivity. We need to both work in the kingdom, but also take time to rest and commune with God. We need to be counter-cultural by being less “busy” in order to make time for feeding our families and ourselves from God’s word. I need to make this more of a priority and I hope you will too.

Recently at work, employees were cleared to resume traveling again. As a result, this will require me to travel across the country to multiple cities, booking hotels, rent cars, etc. There are a lot of logistics to make this happen. I could do this myself, but I want to seek out the advice of travel advisors at work. There are times in our lives where we need guidance from others. Failure to do so could create failure in our lives.

In the book of Proverbs, we see the importance of taking advice. 

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12;15)

As the verse states, an unwise man thinks he is always right. Wise men will always listen and take advice as needed. We can also see earlier in the book that some do not want advice. “Would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof.” (Proverbs 1:30)

Seeking advice benefits us. Consider what happens when we ignore sound biblical advice. Rehoboam is a perfect example. He started listening to the counsel of older and wise men. In verse 8, Rehoboam left this counsel.

“But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.” (1 Kings 12:8)

There are misconceptions about accepting advice. The Bible shows us the importance of seeking advice. Just because one is looking for advice does not mean he is ignorant. Seeking knowledge or direction shows that we are wise. If we do not, it can lead to failure. If I do not seek out advice, it could result in disappointment for my company. Will you seek God’s guidance?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) — 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Psalm 118:24 (ESV) — 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

One of the best mindfulness exercises an individual can do is to add an attitude of daily gratitude. It is obvious that we are the most ungrateful generation in recent history. Many are wanting a big chunk of their “pie” – without any forethought of payment or cost. I clearly recall a broken soul crying: “I just want mine; I just want mine; I just want mine”.

“I just want mine” seems to be the mantra of our time. Unfortunately, nothing is free – except empty promises. So, how do we get back to reality? My journey back was through education. The year I turned 25 I only had a few college hours. It was time for a serious talk with self. “Neville”, I said, “it is time for you to pay the piper”. So, I went back to school – this time with the realization that I had to make it work.

I accepted that no one owed me a living – or anything, for that matter. I also had to realize that everyone, except my Heavenly Father, would let me down. So, instead of wasting time with “poor me” self-talk, I had to learn to be grateful.

Friend, what possessions are you grateful for? Are you grateful for the state you live in? Are you grateful for your vocation? Are you grateful for your daily food, house, car, computer/tablet/phone, etc.

Who are the people in your life you are most grateful for? Who are the family that love you? Who are the friends who “get you”? Who is the significant person that lets you know you are not alone? Are you grateful for the church elders you serve under? Are you grateful for committees/boards you serve on?

What blessings came your way in the last week? The gifts you have received. The people you worship with. The forgiveness from God.

We are a blest people. What a privilege to drive down the road and see signs that say, “workers needed”. We are blest to walk into stores laden with products.

And so, along with Ezra, we turn in thankful praise to our God: Ezra 3:11 (ESV) … For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever…

Satan has always had a particularly insidious perseveration on the younger members of the church. If he can instill ungodly thoughts, habits, and attitudes in them at an early age, he can usually make them his disciples for life. We ought to be even more zealous at discipling our youth and training them in the way of the Lord. After reflecting on my time in youth group as a member and leader, here are three ways we can truly engage with our youth so that they can grow up in the best possible environment that enables them to fight off Satan’s schemes.

Be involved in their lives. We cannot make an impact on the lives of our church’s youth if we do not develop meaningful relationships with them. We need to find ways to engage with them outside of services. This may mean going to their ball games, concerts, or performances. It could mean inviting their family over to your house to get to know the family more. The more they are around you, the more they will see Christ in your example and words.

Teach them the Bible and theology. Bible classes and sermons need to engage with the Bible. While topical classes on more “relevant” things are at times appropriate, we must teach them to look to the Bible as the source of spiritual truth.

Pray for them. Every Christian needs to pray for the youth. We have hardly any idea what types of temptations they are facing, not just from their peers, but also from the media, their teachers, or even their families. We need to pray for the Lord to help guide them through this difficult and important time in their lives on a path of salvation. Even if we fail to do the first two things, if we pray, God will help them where we failed.